Page 9 - Green Builder MagazineJan-Feb 2019 HOTY Issue

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Green Building NEWS

The Latest on Sustainability and Renewable Energy
Go West,

Green Builder

If you want to see or sell a sustainable

home, try the West Coast.
NYONE LOOKING FOR a sustainably made house to buy, repair
or upgrade should head out West—nine of the nation’s 11
greenest cities are on the West Coast, according to a report
A by financial services firm WalletHub. Of those 11, seven are
in California, including the top two: San Diego and San Francisco. The
only East Coast city near the top is Washington, D.C., at #3.
Other cities in the top 10 (from #4 to #10), are Irvine, Calif.; San
Jose; Honolulu; Fremont, Calif.; Seattle; Sacramento; and Portland, Ore.
According to WalletHub analyst Adam McCann, to determine the
cities promoting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, WalletHub CREDIT: JON CALLAS¥FLICKR
compared the 100 largest cities across 26 key green indicators ranging
from greenhouse gas emissions per capita to number of smart energy
policies and initiatives to green job opportunities. “Apart from employing A mandated effort. An ordinance requiring solar panels on new homes in
Americans, clean energy and other green practices, such as recycling California takes effect in 2020.
programs and urban agriculture, benefit the environment and public
health—all of which contribute to America’s bottom line,” McCann says. California Sets
“Recognizing those advantages, cities across the U.S. have increased
Mandatory Solar
their sustainability efforts and benefited economically.”

Roo ng Law

The Golden State will be the first in the nation
to require photovoltaics on new homes.

LL NEW HOMES BUILT IN CALIFORNIA as of 2020 or later must
CREDIT: CHRIS LATTUADA¥FLICKR A in the nation to mandate solar-energy installations on most single-
include solar rooftop panels, following unanimous approval by the
State’s Building Standards Commission. California is the first state

family homes as well as multi-family residential buildings up to three stories,

standards will save California residents and businesses millions in energy costs.
Going very green. More environmentally friendly homes are including condos and apartment complexes. The State estimates that the
“We hope other states will look at what California has done and consider
appearing in Western states than elsewhere in the U.S., according similar policies to encourage clean and low-cost solar energy,” says Sean
to a new WalletHub survey.
Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for the Solar Energy Industries
On the flip side, cities at the bottom of the WalletHub report are Association.
the least green, and could be a challenge for builders. That would begin While there are no true opponents to the mandate, some in the building
with #100—Baton Rouge, which finished in the bottom five in all four industry are concerned that it may result in higher home prices—and reduced
major categories: environment, transportation, energy sources, and affordability in one of the nation’s most expensive states. The California
lifestyle and policy. GB Energy Commission expects that the requirement will add about $9,500 to
the cost of a new home, but generate about $19,000 in energy savings over
The report is available at https://bit.ly/2RKXsZJ. a 30-year period. GB

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